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Jethro
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So let me get this straight, the big five are losing support and are over spending, Tewbacca wants to dump four of the provinces with growing support bases and all of which are going to announce a good result in 2009 :huh: Exactly how does this work? The NZRU are a mad hatter's tea party at best.
Canty posts another big loss
By RICHARD KNOWLER - The Press
With the Canterbury Rugby Union expected to report a heavy financial loss this year, the region's clubs have resigned themselves to not receiving a dividend for the third consecutive season.
Despite Canterbury leading the Air New Zealand Cup competition, the union has been unable to translate its success into performances off the field, with the recession, a drop in match attendances, and reduced donations and sponsorship support among the reasons for a big hole being hacked into the union's balance sheet.
The demise of clothing and textile manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin, which was a major sponsor and which went into receivership earlier this year, has had a major impact on the union, along with the drop in attendances at Crusaders and Canterbury matches.
The reconstruction of the Deans Stand and the easterly wind that whistles into AMI Stadium have been cited as reasons for the reduced ticket sales, but there appears to be widespread apathy among fans in the country's major centres â€" especially at Air New Zealand Cup matches.
Canterbury will also not receive a full bonus from the New Zealand Rugby Union for the test between the All Blacks and Italy at AMI Stadium on June 27 after only 18,500 of the 26,000 available tickets were sold. This meant the union did not meet all their key performance indicators.
Just how much that figure granted from the NZRU is remains uncertain. But in 2007, when the All Blacks played the Springboks in Christchurch, the maximum amount on offer from the NZRU was $142,000. Although Canterbury did not receive the full amount, it is understood to have aimed to receive about $125,000.
Although the Crusaders did well to overcome the loss of All Blacks first five-eighth Dan Carter and a large number of injuries to advance to the Super 14 semifinal against the Bulls in Pretoria, the stadium â€" even with a reduced capacity â€" was never sold out. This is expected to result in a reduced profit for the Crusaders with a smaller dividend for Canterbury.
Attendances this year have again been below expectations, following last year's trends when gate sales dropped by 33 per cent and resulted in gate takings dropping from $1.139 million in 2007 to $713,133 last year.
Last year Canterbury admitted it would have recorded a loss if not for a one-off land sale and a lease payback. It declared a $397,000 profit after making a $799,000 gain from a piece of land in Wilsons Road and selling back its lease on the Stevens Street offices as part of the AMI Stadium development.
Earlier this year the union laid off several staff as the credit crunch continued to bite.
In previous seasons Canterbury has also been able to fork over a grant of up to $300,000 to the province's clubs, but there is no chance of any money being sent the clubs' way again. Instead clubs will have to resort to either raising fees, fundraising or discovering alternative revenue streams.
Canterbury is not the only union to struggle financially and the NZRU, recognising the effects of the recession, earlier put together a special assistance package totalling $3.9 million for the country's 26 unions.
Canterbury chief executive Hamish Riach could not be reached for comment this week.
Meanwhile, embattled province Tasman has already announced it hopes to break even or make a small profit. Although they are expected to be chopped from the NPC competition when it is reduced from 14 teams to 10, Tasman, currently fourth on the competition table, hope to make life as difficult as possible for the NZRU board by continuing to string together wins and prove they deserve to remain in the top echelon.[/b]
So let me get this straight, the big five are losing support and are over spending, Tewbacca wants to dump four of the provinces with growing support bases and all of which are going to announce a good result in 2009 :huh: Exactly how does this work? The NZRU are a mad hatter's tea party at best.